Downtowns balance new growth, stability

October 08, 2003|By Joan Cary, Special to the Tribune.

Shoppers and traffic are steady on La Grange Road in La Grange, where village leaders say the downtown is experiencing a renaissance. In neighboring Western Springs, which always has been a little quieter and smaller, new construction is under way near stable, longtime retailers.

Both villages are close to the big city but proud of their small-town atmospheres. And both are seeing success, some in the form of growth and some in stability.

"La Grange was what they call an exquisite corpse," said Patrick Benjamin, La Grange community development director. "The makings were all there: rail, traffic, stores. But nothing was happening. It needed a nudge."

In 1986, after the retail flight to the malls and the car dealers' moves to Countryside and Hodgkins, village leaders gave it that nudge, he said. La Grange established a tax increment financing district to spur development. A downtown streetscape beautification project with updated lighting, benches and new paving was completed. And TIF funds supported interest-free loans for businesses to renovate storefronts.

The last few years have brought the fruits of that labor. Numerous restaurants and shops have come to La Grange, including popular chains such as Baja Fresh, Caribou Coffee, Noodles & Co. and Corner Bakery. Borders, Pier 1 Imports and specialty grocery Trader Joe's moved in on La Grange Road, where tire stores and gas stations had been prevalent.

Steve Palmer, co-owner of Palmer Place restaurant in downtown La Grange and president of the La Grange Business Association, said the progress the village has made is helping businesses survive the downturn in the economy.

His parents opened a deli in La Grange in 1976, and Palmer Place in 1983, when many other places were closing down.

"Those were tough times, and my mother was extremely proactive," Palmer said. "Now with the TIF program, the building and street renovations, the village projects have updated the town and made it something we as residents can be extremely proud of. The TIF was the catalyst for what we have today."

Palmer added that the commitment and attitude of business and property owners in the commercial district also have helped bring La Grange around.

"The people themselves have put a lot of work and money into this community, and that is not always the case you see," he said.

In Western Springs, a two-story building is rising on Lawn Avenue behind Village True Value Hardware and Kirschbaum's Bakery, both staples of the downtown. It will house Virant Restaurants Inc.'s Fraiche, the town's first restaurant to feature fine dining and serve liquor. The second floor will be office space. Village officials recently authorized the village's first license to serve liquor to the restaurant owner, contingent on final inspection of the facility. Voters had approved repealing the village's liquor prohibition in 1998.

Village officials also hope for demolition by the end of the year of a former gas station across from Village Hall at Hillgrove Avenue and Wolf Road. They have approved preliminary plans for a two-story building that will contain retail, restaurant and office space, said Frank Benak, Western Springs deputy village manager.

The independent Tischler Finer Foods store, 4441 Wolf Rd., was put on the market recently, and the village would encourage a third development there, Benak said. "We'd like to see a use that promotes sales tax," he said.

No radical changes ahead

"Last year we updated our comprehensive land-use plan," he said. "We found that people like things the way they are. They want to move forward, but they don't want any radical changes. Business has been very, very stable. We don't see our central business district growing, but we see it being modernized and redeveloped.

"One issue we have is the closeness of the business district to our housing stock. There is always the issue of parking and the needs of adjoining residences."

In La Grange, village leaders are considering building a parking deck behind Village Hall to relieve parking problems downtown. "Everybody agrees we have to do one," Benjamin said. "But the details have not been finalized. All indications are that it will be on the lot directly east of the Village Hall."

The village expects to have a draft of a new comprehensive plan by March to replace the last one, done in 1970. Part of the plan will focus on the triangle-shaped area bordered by Ogden Avenue, La Grange Road and the Burlington tracks. Beacon Place condominiums at the east corner of the triangle was completed last fall.

The plan also will study opportunities in the West End business district from Spring to Brainard Avenues on both sides of the tracks.

"I anticipate that we will continue to hear ideas of redevelopments in the future," Benjamin said. "But we also have to temper that with keeping the fabric of the community."